Frequently Asked Questions

You've got questions. We've got answers.

About CleanSky Energy

  • Who is CleanSky Energy?

    Hello and welcome! We are CleanSky Energy, a retail electricity provider and carbon-neutral natural gas company, serving Texas and the Northeastern U.S. Our mission is to bring clean energy to all at an affordable, honest rate. Every electricity plan we offer is powered with 100% green energy either from solar, hydropower, or wind energy, and every residential gas plan is 100% carbon neutral.

  • How is CleanSky different from other energy providers?

    Numerous providers across the United States still rely on old ways of doing business, often charging premiums for wind and solar energy and — frankly — hoping you forget about your bill. Not CleanSky. We’re cleaning up the energy sector by providing fully transparent energy plans with rates you can trust. We’re real people who genuinely want to help you access clean energy and learn about its potential to change our world.

  • How is CleanSky different from your local utility company?

    CleanSky is a retail energy supplier of electricity and natural gas, while your local utility company is responsible for physically delivering that energy and maintaining the energy-delivery infrastructure. CleanSky Energy purchases green energy and natural gas (and the carbon offsets) from the open energy market and supplies the fuels on your behalf.

  • What if you have a power outage?

    In the event of an emergency power outage in your home, call your local utility company. They are responsible for fixing power outages when they occur. Your utility’s contact information is found on your monthly energy invoice.

  • Do I need any special equipment for a green energy plan?

    No additional equipment is necessary to receive electricity from CleanSky Energy. Your home or business will use the same energy-supply lines as always.

  • Is CleanSky Energy affiliated with the local utilities?

    No. We are in no way associated with utility companies. CleanSky Energy is licensed by the appropriate Public Utility Commissions to supply electricity in all of the states we service. The utility companies are regulated to transport electricity to the population. CleanSky Energy purchases green energy commodities from the open energy market in order to provide the most affordable energy rates possible to our customers.

Connection & Outages

About Retail Energy

  • What is energy deregulation?

    Historically, electricity was supplied and delivered exclusively through local utility companies. Energy deregulation removed this monopoly and gave people the ability to shop for energy suppliers just like any other product on the open marketplace. Today, you can choose a supplier based on your unique needs and wants. 

    CleanSky Energy leverages our energy expertise to buy and support green energy generators on your behalf. While there is no guarantee retail-energy pricing will provide a savings, many of our customers feel comfortable with CleanSky Energy’s cost-effective pricing plans.

  • What is Energy Choice?

    Energy Choice gives consumers the option to choose their electricity suppliers. This allows energy companies to compete for your business, giving you options, improved customer service, innovative technologies and better pricing.

  • What is Renewable Energy?

    Electricity generated through naturally sustainable methods is considered renewable. Instead of using conventional fuels such as coal, natural gas and nuclear fission to generate power, renewable energy relies on solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal and biomass to generate electricity. These energy sources do not emit harmful gasses into the environment. Thankfully, CleanSky Energy provides the cleanest sources of renewable energy, 100% wind or 100% solar.

    To verify that your electricity is legitimately green, we purchase Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from one or more renewable energy generators to offset the carbon footprints of customers electing to use our renewable energy plans.

  • Is it necessary to call my current supplier?

    No. We’ll handle notifying the right people for you. CleanSky will ensure it’s completely seamless and with no interruption in energy service.

  • Should you notify your local utility if you switch to CleanSky?

    No. Once you have signed up with CleanSky Energy, we will let your utility company know and take care of the details. You can expect to receive a confirmation notice from the utility that shows CleanSky Energy as your new energy supplier.

  • How long will it take for my electricity to switch over?

    The exact times for switching is determined by your local utility. It depends on when you enroll but the change will most likely occur on the date of the next scheduled meter-read by the utility. After enrolling with us, you will receive a welcome letter with the details of your energy agreement. It may take one to two billing cycles for CleanSky Energy to appear on your invoice from the utility company.

  • Will my service reliability change?

    No. The local utility companies are required to provide the same level of service, regardless of which energy supplier is used. You will continue receiving exactly the same quality of delivery, emergency response and meter-reading from your current utility company.

  • How do I switch to CleanSky Energy?

    It’s easy. Simply have your utility account information on hand. (This can be found on your monthly energy bill.) Review our energy plans and agreements, compare our rates and then choose a plan that fits your needs. Enroll online or call (888) 355-6205. For ERCOT customers in Texas, contact our local agents at (888) 733-5557.

  • How much does it cost to switch to CleanSky?

    There is no enrollment fee with CleanSky Energy. However, your local utility may charge a nominal, one-time service charge that will appear on the following invoice from the utility.

Switching Energy Providers

About Your Plan

  • Do I need to sign a contract?

    In order to guarantee our energy supply services and pricing, we do ask customers for an agreement to receive our energy for a specified period of time. This protects customers from fluctuating energy-price spikes during inclement weather and helps us have more accurate energy-use forecasts in order to keep prices lower.

  • What if I move?

    If you relocate within the same service area as your current utility company, you may notify us in order to continue receiving our energy services. If you are moving outside the service area of your utility, your agreement with us will be nullified.

  • How do I renew my plan?

    Renewing is easy. It can be done up to 60 days before your current fixed-rate plan agreement expires. We will send notices by mail and email explaining your options. You can also renew online or call one of our customer service agents at (888) 355-6205. For ERCOT customers in Texas, contact our local agents at (888) 733-5557.

  • What happens at the end of the contract?

    When your initial term period is complete, your account will automatically renew on a month-to-month variable energy rate that is based on the current energy market pricing. We will give advance notices of your term’s end and provide options for continued service.

Glossary

  1. Ancillary Services –This describes the additional services required in the generation and delivery of natural gas and electricity. These include the organization, generation control, contractual agreements, system supports, and securities necessary in energy delivery.
  2. Base Charge – This is a flat fee applied to each month’s energy bill. This is the same each month regardless of how much energy is used by a customer.
  3. Base Load – This is the minimum amount of energy required on the energy grid.
  4. BTU – Abbreviation for British Thermal Unit and a unit of measure for the amount of energy necessary to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree of Fahrenheit.
  5. Ccf – Abbreviation for hundred cubic feet and the unit of measure of natural gas.
  6. CRES and CRNGS – Acronyms for Competitive Retail Electricity Supplier and Competitive Retail Natural Gas Supplier. Retail energy suppliers buy electricity and natural gas on the wholesale market and deliver the energy to your local utility company.
  7. Capacity – A quantity of electric power, either delivered or required from a generation source.
  8. Capacity Charge – This is one component of a two-part pricing method (Energy Charge is the other component) used in capacity transactions assessed on the amount of electricity purchased over a period of time.
  9. Default Service Provider – This is the energy-service provider to which a customer will be automatically switched if a retail-energy service provider is not chosen for delivery of natural gas or electricity.
  10. Demand – This is the amount of natural gas or electricity consumed over a period of time. On a customer’s monthly energy bill, this amount of time is monthly.
  11. Deregulation – The removal of governing controls over local utility systems allowed consumers to choose between retail energy companies for natural gas and electricity.
  12. Distribution System – The infrastructure that allows for the delivery of natural gas and electricity to the homes and businesses of retail-energy customers.
  13. Distribution Charge – This is a charge appearing on your monthly energy invoice from the local utility and covers maintenance of the energy-distribution lines and facilities. The charge is regulated by the Public Utility Commission and is based on the amount of energy consumed by the customer.
  14. Energy Choice – The deregulation of energy gave customers the freedom to choose their retail energy provider of natural gas and electricity. Through Energy Choice, consumers may select between a variety of providers as well as different fuel types, prices, configurations, and terms.
  15. Electric Distribution Company (EDC) – This is the company that owns and operates the equipment and lines necessary for delivering high-voltage electricity to the retail consumers.
  16. Energy Charge – Fee for the total amount of electricity consumed by a customer, measured in kilowatt-hours.
  17. Fixed rate – A price per kWh or Ccf that does not change for a specific period of time, called a term. Terms can last anywhere from one to 36 months and can provide stability and peace-of-mind over possible energy-price increases.
  18. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) – The government agency that regulates the price, terms, and conditions of energy sold through interstate commerce.
  19. Fuel Charge – Amount charged per kWh or Ccf that covers the costs of fuels used to generate power or distribute natural gas.
  20. Generation – The process of producing electricity from the output of other forms of energy including natural gas, coal, nuclear, wind, solar, hydro, and biomass – usually measured in kilowatt-hours.
  21. kWh – Abbreviation for kilowatt-hour and the unit of measurement for electricity usage over time.
  22. Load – The amount of electric power required to meet customer needs over a specific period of time.
  23. Local Distribution Company (LDC) – The utility company that manages and operates the distribution of natural gas in a particular area.
  24. Public Utilities Commission – The state regulatory agency governing retail utility rates and practices of distribution and generation facilities.
  25. REC – Renewable Energy Certificate, a tradeable commodity of renewable energy that guarantees an equal amount of energy generated from renewable sources is returned to the energy grid in place of energy made from conventional sources.
  26. Terms of Service – The content explaining an agreement between a customer and a CRES or CRNGS.
  27. Transmission – The movement of high-voltage electricity across the infrastructure of transmission lines between power plants and the local distribution system.
  28. Transmission Charge – Included in the basic service charges on a customer’s monthly energy invoice for the movement of electricity from the generation facility across the distribution system.
  29. Usage – The total amount of natural gas or electricity consumed by customers during the monthly billing period – measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) for electricity and hundred cubic feet (Ccf) for natural gas.
  30. Variable rate – This is a price that changes over time. Specifically, electricity and natural gas offered at the fluctuating-commodities market price, which can change up or down from month-to-month. Variable rates are based on market factors such as supply, demand, and changes in the weather.